WGME interviews Rubin about effects of road salt on environment
University of Maine economics professor Jonathan Rubin talked with WGME for its story about the impacts that road salt has on the environment and infrastructure. MaineDOT reportedly used an average of 16 tons of salt per lane mile over a four-year period, putting it in the top 10 among state governments.”All the salt and and other anti-icing chemicals end up in the water or soil,” said Rubin, who leads the the Margaret Smith Chase Policy Center and conducted a study on road salt in 2010. “You can have contamination of wells from the salt when the wells are close to where Maine DOT needs to clear the roads,” he said.